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How would you answer if I asked you the reason for the church? Why are we still here on earth? What should we be doing?

Some might say we should be living a holy life. That is a good thing, but it is not the main reason we are here. If that is all the Lord wants, we might as well go on to heaven, because we can't really live a perfectly holy life down here.

Some might say we are saved so we can be in fellowship. That is good, too, and we do have fellowship with other believers. But the fellowship is very imperfect, as you must know from experience. We have all kinds of problems getting along with one another as Christians. We don't actually do fellowship very well down here.

Some might say the real priority for us is worship. We do work on worship in the church, but we don't always get that right, either. Sometimes our minds wander and we find it hard to focus on God. Sometimes our emotions are swept away by music, but they go to a place that has little to do with God. We are fickle creatures, easily distracted.

All of that is to say that our holiness is imperfect, our fellowship is imperfect, and our worship is imperfect. If those were the top priorities, then we would do better to go on to heaven. When we get to heaven, we will be perfectly holy; our fellowship and worship will be perfect. That leaves us with only one reason to stay here on earth. There is one thing we can do on earth that we cannot do in heaven—that is to make disciples of all nations. The Great Commission is given to us individually and corporately as the church.

Make sure you are involved in carrying out this commission. No one is exempt from this joyous duty. Go to people who do not know Christ. Tell them about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Encourage them to acknowledge faith in Jesus Christ and to demonstrate that by baptism. Follow up by teaching them to obey the things Jesus told us to do. And do it all knowing that Christ Himself is with you as you accomplish His purpose for you. He will be with you to the very end.

—Adapted from The Heart of the Bible, by John MacArthur (Thomas Nelson, 2005), Chapter 9.

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